Visiting Mo'orea - The Shadrian Chronicles

French Polynesia is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Each island has it’s own beauty, but most of the islands may seem too far away or too expensive to experience. While the hotels, resorts, and restaurants are varying levels of moderately expensive to spending your life savings, there are cheaper and affordable options available. Check out our guide below to visiting Mo’orea, the closest island to Tahiti (and the Papeete, the airport you are likely flying into).

When should you visit?

French Polynesia is one of those places that doesn’t have a bad time to visit. While the island is in the southern hemisphere, is it very close to the equator. There are not a lot of differences in temperature from summer to winter. During the winter, temperatures are lower, but the water is still very comfortable.

If you can, we recommend visiting anytime other than holidays or school vacations. Off-times give you even more private beach and snorkeling space.

How to get to and around Mo’orea?

First off, you have to get to French Polynesia. Most international flights into French Polynesia will land in Papeete, Tahiti. From the airport you need to taxi to the ferry terminal, which is around a 20 minute drive and costs roughly $20 USD.

At the ferry terminal you can purchase tickets for the ferry to Mo’orea. There are two ferry companies that operate to and from Mo’orea. Tickets were around $15 each way and can be purchased at the ferry terminal. The ferry ride takes roughly 30 minutes.

Once you make it to Mo’orea, there is an Avis Car Rental right across from the ferry. Definitely reserve your car in advance as they have limited options. Most hotels or resorts do offer a pick up service, in case you don’t want to drive or leave the resort.

Avis car rental across from the ferry terminal.

Where should you stay?

This is the million dollar question. The main reason we even went to French Polynesia was to experience an overwater bungalow. At the time of our travels there were four resorts that offered overwater bungalows. We did our research, and chose the Hilton Mo’orea for our experience. The Hilton Mo’orea bungalows were absolutely amazing (if you stay there ask for Cabin 58 for amazing reef snorkeling)

The catch to staying in an underwater bungalow is the price. Our room cost $850 per night for a two night stay at the Hilton in an overwater bungalow. We were able to cut the cost down by using credit card points and our Amex card to score free breakfast and get the room at a cheaper

The other options for Mo’orea are local motel/hotels and Airbnb. There are a couple really amazing and good priced Airbnbs on the island. For a cheaper stay, Airbnb is likely your best option. After spending two nights in the Hilton bungalow we did a couple more nights in a private room Airbnb.

Things to do in Mo’orea

Besides relaxing in your amazing overwater bungalow, there are a number of activities to explore while vacationing in the island.

Snorkeling – The entire island is surrounded by a reef with lots of amazing snorkeling options. Most hotels and resorts offer free snorkeling gear. You can always bring your own snorkeling gear or purchase some in Papeete before heading to Mo’orea.
Kayaking or Stand Up Paddle-boarding – Most hotels and resorts also offer kayaks or stand up paddle boards to use. As long as it is not super windy, these are great ways to see more sea life a little further from shore.
The Lagoonarium – There is a small sandy island on the southeast side of Mo’orea that has a very diverse reef around it. A company offers a short 2 minute boat ride and rentable snorkeling equipment, shoes, and flippers for your use. They offer daily shark and ray feedings that you can enjoy up close. This is a cash only option though, so make sure you bring plenty of cash. They do accept USD and Euros as well.
Belevedere Lookout – A short drive up the mountain, the lookout offers views of both northern bays. Make sure to take the paved road up, not the dirt road. There are also some Polynesian ruins on the road up that you can also explore. The best time to visit is at sunset.
Take a Hike – Mainly from Belvedere Lookout, there are a number of trails that cross the island. Rain showers may occur during the day up in the mountains, so make sure you bring a rain jacket and some good hiking shoes.

How much did it all cost?

The question everyone worries about and wants to know. How much does it cost to visit French Polynesia? I listed out what we spent below to help plan your own trip…

Flight to Papeete, Tahiti – $550 (thanks to Scott’s Cheap Flights deal)
Overwater Bungalow – Hilton Mo’orea – $850 per night (we used credit card points to cover most of this cost)
Airbnb – Private Bungalow Room – $100 per night
Taxi to/from Airport – $20 each way
Ferry to/from Mo’orea – $30 round trip
Rental Car in Mo’orea – $75 per day, used half a tank of gas in 4 days
Local Food: Breakfast – $10 per person, Lunch/Dinner – $20 per person
Resort/Tourist Restaurant Food – Breakfast – $30 per person, Lunch/Dinner – $40 per person
Day at the Lagoonarium – $50 per person (entrance fee, snorkel equipment, and shoes for snorkeling)